Automatic brake



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' R. L. RUOFF AUTOMATIC BRAKE Filed Oct. 23 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March25, 1924. 1,488,l68

l R.L.RUOFF y AUTOMAT I C BRAKE Filed Oct. 23 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Mar. 25, i924.

RAYMOND L. RUOFF, OF PRESCOTT, ARIZONA.

f AUTOMATIC BRAKE.

Application filed October 23, 1923. Serial No. 670,301.

To all whom t may cancer/n:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND L. RUOFF, citizen of the United States,residing at Prescott, in the county of Yavapai and State of Arizona,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Brakes,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic brakes, and has particular referenceto a device of that kind, particularly adaptable for stopping therotation of phonograph turn tables upon the completion of the. playingof a record disposed upon the table.

The primary object of the invention is to generally simplify and improvedevices of the above kind whereby the same may meet with all of therequirements for a successful commercial use.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide an automatic turn tablestopping device for phonographs which will be thoroughly reliable andefficient in operation, and which will comprise a minimum number ofparts of simple and durable form, and so co-related as to renderunlikely the probability of the device getting out of order.

A further object of the invention is to provide a brake of the abovekind depending upon its operation by relative displacement of partscaused by the sensation of movement of the tone arm of a phonograph.

Other objects will appear as the nature of the invention is betterunderstood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination, andarrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in theaccompanying drawings, and claimed.

In lthe drawings, wherein like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

. Figure 1 is a fragmentary view, partly intop plan and 'partly inhorizontal section,

of a phonograph equipped with a'brake mechanism constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

` Figure 2 1s a View partly in elevation and .partly in section of thedevice shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating details ofthe brake release mechanism, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing further details of thedevice.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 5 indicates' the casingorcabinet of a phonograph which has the usual horizontal turn table 7 thatis fixed upon the upper end of a vertical drive shaft 8 which is drivenin the usual manner by a governor controlled spring motor (not sho-wn).It is to be understood that the record to be played is placed upon theturn table 7 in the usual manner for engagement by the needle 9 of asound box 10 that is carried upon the inner end of a horizontallyswinging tone arm 11, the outer end of which extends downwardly thru thetop of the casing 5 and is hingedly mounted in the latter' forpermitting the swinging of the tone arm 11 as above mentioned.

A horizontally swinging brake lever 12 is suitably pivot-ally mountedupon the top of the casing 5 beneath the marginal portion of the turntable 7, and this lever carries a brake shoe 13 adapted to swingoutwardly into engagement with the inner surface of the depending rim ofthe turntable 7 for stopping rotation of the latter in a well knownmanner. In accordance with the present invention a spring 14 is providedfor automatically swinging the brake member 12 to braking position, orin such position as to engage the brake shoe 13 with the turntable.Pivotally mounted at one side of the turntable 7 for vertical swingingmovement is a catch 15 that is normally urged downwardly by means of aspring 16 to engage behind the Vbrake lever 12 for holding the latter inreleased lposition as shown in Figures 1 and 3, and one end of the catch15 is directed upwardly in the form of a crank arm 17 to which isattached one end of a flexible operating element or wire 18. a

An arm 19 has its outer end mounted upon the vertical portion of thetone arm 11, so as to be capable of swinging horizontally and this armextends inwardly between the top of the casing 5 and the turn table 7where it is provided upon its free end with a friction gear segment 20.A stub shaft 21 is provided on the top of the casing 5 beneath the turntable 7 and has a friction gear 22 journalled thereon, that has constantengagement with the friction gear segment 20, said friction gear 22being fixed to a relatively large worm gear 23 that meshes with al worm24e secured upon a horizontal shaft 25 which is mounted in suitablebearings beneath the turn table 7. The shaft 25 is radially positionedas shown in Figure 1, and has a bevelled gear 26 upon its inner end thatis in turn meshed with a bevelled gear 27 fixed arm whereby the arm 28is caused to travel with the tone arm when the record is being played.The arm 28 is disposed directly above the arm 19 and in a plane directlybelow the turn table 7 and the inner end of said arm 28 is pivotallyengaged as at 30 With one arm of a bell crank lever 31 that is pivotedvfor horizontal swinging movement as at 32 upon the top of anintermediate enlarged portion oi' the arm 19. The other arm of the bellcrank lever 31 is attached to the flexible element or wire 18,

as: at 3e, and said Wire 18 is extended through a suitable guide tube 35that has its ends respectively attached as at 36 and 37 to the portion33 of the arm 19 and the top of the easing 5 oi the phonograph.

Movement of the arm 28 in one direction relative to the arm 19 isnormally yieldingly prevented by means of a spring 38 that is attachedto the inner end ot the arm 28 and to the enlarged portion 33 of the arm19 as shown clearly in Figures 1 and 4. It is particularly noted thatthe arm 19 is not keyed to the tone arm 11 and may swing relative to thelatter.

In operation, the brake lever 12 is swung, so as to disengage its brakeslice 13 from the rim of the turntable 7 against the action or thespring 14, in which position said brake lever-is engaged behind thecatch 15 Jfor holding the brake shoe released, the catch 15 being shownin engaging position with respect to the lever 12 by means of the spring16. As the needle 9 has been previously engaged With the starting pointin the groove of a record to be played, the release of the brake shoe 13permits turning of the turntable 7 under the influence of its operatingmotor as is Well known in the art. When this takes place, the arm 28 iscaused to swing with the tone arm 11 and through, the gearing described,the arm 19 is also caused to swing in synchronism. or unison with thetone arm and the arm 28. Thus, during t-he playing of the record thereis no relative displacement between the arms 28 and 19 and the brakeWill be held released. However, upon the needle 9 reaching the end ofthe sound groove in the record, the swinging movement of the tone arm 11ceases, and by reason of the connection of the arm 28 with said tonearm, said arm 28 is stopped. Continued rotation of the friction gear 22causes the arm 19 to continue to swing, so as to displace the samerelative to the arm 28 and thereby cause swinging of the bell cranklever 31 in a direction to cause a pull to be exerted upon the Wire 18Jfor causing upward swinging movement of the catch 13 against the actionof the springs 38 and 16. lVhen this takes place, the catch isdisengaged from the brake lever 12 and the spring 14 then immediatelyswings said lever 12 to engage its brake shoe 13 with the rim of theturntable for stopping the latter. The outer end oi the lever 12 and thecatch 15 are formed with finger pie-ces for permitting their manualoperation and there is suiiicicnt length to the Wire 18 and tooth 35 topermit the movement of the arms 19 and 28 as above mentioned.

From the above description, it is believed that the construction andoperation, as Well as the advantages of the present invention Will bereadily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Minor changes may be made Wit-hout departing fromV the spirit and scopeof the invention as claimed.

1V hat I claim as newis:

1. In an automatic turn table brake for phonographs, an arm adapted' tobe mounted to rotate relative to and upon the'tone arm of thephonograph, a second arm having one end adapted for attachment to saidtone arm to be caused to move therewith, means to cause travellingmovement of the iirst named arm in unison with the tone arm and thesecond named arm and to cause move ment of the irst namedarm past thestopping point of the tone arm at the completion o'l the playing of therecord, and means operable upon such continued movement of the firstnamed arm for arresting movement of the turn table.

2. In an automatic turn table brake for phonographs, an arm adapted tobe mounted to rotate relative to and upon the ton'e arm of thephonograph, a second arm having one end adapted for attachment to saidtone arm to be caused to move therewith, means to causetravelling'movement of the first named arm in unison with the tone armand the second named arm and to cause movement ot the first named armpast the stopping point of the tone arm at the completion of the playingof the record. means operable upon such continued movement of the firstnamed arm for arresting movement of the turn table, said last namedmeans comprising a normally applied brake member, a latch for holdingthe brake inember released, and means for releasing said latchoperatively associated with the rst named arm.

3.V In combination With the horizontally swinging'tone arm of aphonograph and the rotatable turntable of the latter, an arm havingitsouter end rotatably disposed upon vthe tone arm and its inner enddisposed be- Yicc neath the turntable, gearing between the turntable andthe inner end of said arm for causing the latter' to swing in unisonwith the tone arm during the playing operation and to travel aftermovement of the tone arm has ceased upon completion of the playingoperation, a second arm keyed to the tone arm to swing therewith, a bellcrank lever pivoted upon the irst named arm and having one end pivotallyengaged with the inner end of the second named arm, a normally appliedbrake, a latch for holding said brake released, and means connectingsaid latch with said bell crank lever for releasing the catch uponcessation of movement of the second named arm and continued movement ofthe first named arm.

4C. In combination with the horizontal turntable and the horizontallyswinging tone arm of a phonograph, an arm having its inner end disposedbeneath the turn table and having its outer end mounted upon the tonearm whereby said arm may swing horizontally relative to the tone arm,driving connection between the turntable and the inner end of said armincluding friction gearing for swinging said arm in unison with the tonearm when the latter is moved during t-he record playing operation, asecond arm having, its outer end keyed to the tone arm to movetherewith, and means operatively connected to said arm and operable uponrelative displacement of the arms due to continued swinging movement ofthe rst named arm when the tone arm and second named arm are stopped atthe end of a record, for releasing a normally applied brake of the turntable.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

RAYMOND L. RUOFF.

